Radio show another platform to talk cars

Recently I made a guest appearance on the “America’s Garage Show” weekly radio program that is broadcast live at WAVO 1150 AM in Charlotte, but is syndicated to other radio stations throughout the U.S. and can be streamed online.

I must say it was a fun experience and I really enjoyed it as the hour on the air really went by quickly. The program is produced by Chris Pardo of Fort Mill, whose uncle is Don Pardo – most of you know Don as the voice of “Saturday Night Live” – and he is also a member of the Television Hall of Fame. The format of the program is to discuss anything with wheels on it, but it usually revolves around the automotive world and its issues concerning the past, present and future.

The banter between the three figures on the show is great with lots of joking and kidding around but also lots of good information.

The characters on the show go by the names of Crank, Stick and the Car Chick. I joked with them that I wasn’t sure if I was going on a radio show or if I was entering a witness protection program, since everybody had an alias except me. Crank is a native of Chicago and an ASE certified service writer who has been involved in the automotive industry for 26 years. Stick is a Philadelphia native but has been in the Charlotte area for more than 40 years and has spent 16 years in the car business. Car Chick, another Fort Mill resident, is the co-owner of Women’s Automotive Solutions, which is a car-buying service geared toward women.

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The show airs every week from noon to 1 p.m., and even though its main focus is not classic cars, as you might guess my appearance corresponded with a show dedicated to classics.

Discussed on the show were some typical topics such as how to get younger people involved in the classic car hobby and current classic car owners’ attitudes that need to be changed. We had a lively discussion about car shows and how to plan and prepare for one if you are going to have an event for a church, business or charity. Advice was handed out to those that are getting ready to buy their first classic car and what to expect from ownership of an older car that is not always going to “cooperate” with what you want it to do.

Along with that, we discussed how to value your classic car and some of the things you can do to figure that out. We briefly talked about my favorite era of classics – the muscle car era – and about some of the ups and downs in that market right now.

Overall, I really enjoyed the discussions on the radio show as I got to converse on the subject of classic cars, which I truly love. But no matter the subject, give “America’s Garage Show” a listen every week and you will most likely learn something you didn’t know about the automobile and the industry. Check out their website at americasgarageshow.com and podcasts of previous shows are also available on the website in case you missed one.